William a



' (No Model.) 7

W. A. H. STAFFORD. FEED STOPPER FOR M'UGILAGE BOTTLES.

No. 444,142. PatentedJan. 6, 1891.

' Fig.1.

UNITED STATES PATENT FFICE.

WILLIAM A. H. STAFFORD, on NEW YORK, N. Y.

' FEEDj-STO PPER FOR MUClLAGE-BOTTLES.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 444,142, dated January 6, 1891.

' Application filed October 2, 1890. Serial No. 366,850. (No model.)

To (bZZ whom it may concern:

Be it known that 1, WILLIAM A. II. STAF- FORD, of the city and county of New York, in the State of New York, have invented a new and useful Improvement in Feed-Stoppers for Shoe-Dressing Bottles, of which the following is a specification.

My invention relates to an improvement in feedstoppers for shoe-dressing bottles in which a sponge, brush, or wiper is secured to the outer face of a perforated disk, through which the dressing is allowed to pass to supply the sponge with the necessary amount of liquid when the bottle is inverted, the bottle itself serving as a handle to the brush or Wiper for applying the dressing to the article.

The object is to simplify the structure and render the feed so gradual that the wiper will not be subject to being overcharged with the liquid,thereby doing away with the necessity of special provision to prevent overflow down the sides of the bottle, and at the same time providing for the return within the bottle of any portion of the liquid that is free to fall when the bottle is placed right side up, thereby preventing the liquid from becoming hardened in any considerable quantity in the sponge or wiper and forming obstruction therein to its further use.

A practical embodiment of my invention is represented in the accompanying drawings, in which- Figure 1 is a view of a shoe-dressing bottle in side elevation, showing the feed-stopper and cap in vertical section with the parts in position which they would occupy when the sponge or wiper is not in use. Fig. 2 is a top plan view of the perforated disk to which the sponge or wiper is attached; and Fig. 3 is a bottom plan view of the same, showing the fabric or sieve-like membrane secured over the inner face of the disk.

A represents the body of the bottle, here represented as of oblong rectangular form, as is usual in bottles upon the market for this purpose.

It will be understood, however, that the shape of the bottle is one of choice and not material to the purpose of this invention.

The neck of the bottle is represented by a, and is here shown as provided with an external screw-thread a, by means of which an screwed on for the purpose of holding the perforated disk and parts attached thereto in position. The cap B is open at its upper end, and is provided with an annular inwardly-extended flange 1), which is intended to project over the outer edge of the perforated disk.

C represents the perforated disk. It is preferably provided with a central large perforation c for the passage of the liquid there through and with a series of similar perforations 0, by means of which the sponge, brush, or wiper and the fabric or sieve-like membrane are secured to it. The disk C preferably has a diameter about equal to that of the neck of the bottle, and is adapted to rest on the top of the neck, so that when the cap B is screwed down into position its flange 1) will force the disk into snug contact with the top of the neck and form thereby a liquidtight joint.

D represents the sponge, wiper, or brush secured at its base to the outer face of the disk C. On the inner. face of said disk there is secured a piece of fabric or sieve-like membraneE. (Olearlyshownin Fig. 3.) Apiece of linen cloth serves well for this purpose. The membrane E is stretched over the several perforations formed in the disk 0 and serves to admit the dressing to the perforation or perforationsin the disk, and thence to the sponge, wiper, or brush so gradually that there will be no tendency to an overcharge and a consequent dripping. On the other hand, the liquid dressing will percolate gradually through the membrane E and will keep the wiper at all times supplied with a sufficient quantity for the desired purpose. The membrane E is here shown as secured to the disk by means of a line of stitching 6 passed through the perforations c in the disk, and the sponge, wiper, or brush may be secured by the same means. It is obvious, however, that the said membrane E might be secured in other ways-:as, for example, by being held at its edges between the disk and the neck of the bottle.

For the purpose of returning to the bottle when stood upright and out of use, any liquid that may be free to fall from the wiper, the upper face 0 of the disk C is made concave from the outer edge to the margin of the large central perforation c. The concave form of internally screw threaded cap B may be the upper face of the disk (I also serves to hold the brush or wiper more firmly in its seat.

From the above construct-ion it follows that when the bottle is inverted for the purpose of saturatingthe sponge and applying the liquid the sieve like membrane will rest closely against the under surface of the disk 0 and the liquid will be allowed to pass through the perforation or perforations in the disk from a portion of the membrane corresponding in size with the size of the perforation or perforations. lVhen, however, the bottle is placed upright, the return liquid, passing down the concave face of the disk and through the perforation or perforations at the bottom of the concave portion, will tend to sag the membrane away from the face of the disk, and the liquid will be allowed to percolate through a greater surface of the membrane than that corresponding to the size of the perforation or perforations, and hence the return of the liquid will be more rapidlyaccomplished and its exposure to the air of shorter duration.

To protect the sponge or wiper from contact with the outer air, a removable cap 1 is provided, which may be inserted over the wiper and the cap B when the bottle is out of use.

\Vhat I claim as my invention is The herein-described feed-stopper, comprising a disk having a concave upper face and provided with a central perforation therethrough, a cap adapted to engage the margin of the disk and secure it to the bottle, a sponge, wiper, or brush secured to and seated in the upper concave surface of the disk, and a porous membrane secured to the under face of the disk at points outward from the feed perforation, substantially as set forth.

YVILLIAM A. H. STAFFORD.

\Vitnesses:

FREDK. HAYNES, K. E. PEMBLETON. 

